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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Do good writers decorate their writing?
(a) Yes, with good punctuation.
(b) No, only bad writers do this to sell more copies.
(c) No, good writers dont need ornamentation.
(d) Yes, always with lots of extra words.

2. What does a Thesaurus help a writer with, besides finding alternate words?
(a) A thesaurus is a powerful stimulant to a writer's imagination.
(b) The book can help a writer become an expert in opposites.
(c) Provides easy word webs.
(d) A thesaurus can help when writing in another language.

3. What does the etymology of words mean?
(a) The biology of words.
(b) The history of words.
(c) The sound of words.
(d) The written scripts.

4. Why does Zissner advise his clients to worry about the marketplace last?
(a) Because nobody knows what is going to sell.
(b) Because the marketplace never changes.
(c) Because the marketplace always needs books and will take anything.
(d) Writing a good piece for the marketplace is easy when they know what sells.

5. What is a dash useful for?
(a) Dashes act as pointers to a point and to set off parenthetical statementes.
(b) Dashes are good to connect complex sentences.
(c) Dashes are good in place of exclamations.
(d) Dashes are good to separate thoughts.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is another important characteristic of a writer?

2. What happens when the reader loses interest in the writing?

3. Can a writer simply write the article with one interview?

4. Why should interview questions be written before the interview?

5. What is the main thing required to being a good writer?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is unity in writing?

2. Why do writers have a hard time starting at the "true beginning?"

3. When can some writers break grammar rules?

4. Does Zinsser believe it is important for an author's personality to shine through his or her writing?

5. What do all good writers do when it comes to improving?

6. In what point of view should a writer start writing? Why?

7. What political period was the worst as far as bad writing?

8. Why does Zinsser use brackets on students' papers?

9. Why are journalists good about de-cluttering their writing?

10. How do you know when an article is a failure?

(see the answer keys)

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